Monday on the Crystal

Spent a few days on the Crystal River. As some of you know, I like to fish and paint. Sometimes I do more of one than the other and the secret is to find a good balance between the two loves. Of course I make a living with the brush and not the rod so I have to keep that in mind. I rationalize the fishing however by reminding myself that I have to eat too. This is a 14 x11 oil of a fly fisherman on the Crystal River. It is a redo of an earlier version and I think this one turned out a lot better. Hope you like it.

The Stars of Sturgis

A couple of weeks ago we rode the Harley to Sturgis. For those of you who don't know, Sturgis, SD is home to the largest motorcycle rally in the US...maybe the world. I don't know. The numbers just released by the officials of the rally said there were something around 400,000 motorcycles crossed their counter into the little town of Sturgis between Aug 9th and the 15th. That's alot of people on two wheels. We were actually there the week before the official start of the rally and there were still thousands of bikes in the area who, like us, came early to avoid the congestion of the next week.

Riding the Black Hills was absolutely awesome and we obviously weren't the only ones to think so as there were hundreds if not thousands of other bikers on the road with us. I just can't imagine what it would be like to be there the next week during the official dates of the rally.

If you are a people watcher like me, this was the place to be. I got alot of great photos of the characters who showed up and will be using them to paint from and start another series of paintings called the "Stars of Sturgis". Main Street in Sturgis is the place to see and be seen and there were lots of "characters" who wanted to be seen. My only regret is that I didn't stay longer to take advantage of the opportunity. There is always next year and you can bet I'll be there again.

This painting, a 18x10 oil, the first one of the series and appropriately titled , "Mr. Sturgis" is of a guy who was sitting on a bench on Main Street watching the people walk and ride by. He must've been in his late sixties or early seventies. His beard really was that long and his eye brows were very bushy. I'm surprised he could even see out of them. His arms were heavily tattooed and he looked like he belonged there and would be a great choice to start the series of paintings with.